If you liked what LG was doing with its LG V20 series over the other side of the pond last year, I have some good(ish) news for you: the company is releasing a “mid-range” version of the handset in the UK called the LG Q8.

The specs for this handset are very impressive too: Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, Android 7.1.1 with LG UX 5.0, and the same 13MP/8MP dual-camera system seen in other LG devices.

As I said, the specs are very decent; it’s easily up there in terms of raw grunt with phones like the Galaxy A7 and OnePlus 3T. Plus, it looks A LOT like the LG V20, only smaller thanks to its 5.2in QHD display.

Like the V20, the LG Q8 also sports an IR Blaster and MicroSD slot as well as LG’s fantastic 32-bit DAC for superior audio performance. The only real downside to this phone is that, unlike the V20, the battery is non-removable.

And due to the smaller size of the handset, the battery it carries is only a 3000mAh cell, though this should still provide a solid day-and-a-bit of usage with average usage patterns.

LG Q8 Specs

• CPU – Quad-Core 2.15 GHz Kryo
• Chipset – Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996
• GPU – Qualcomm Adreno 530
• Camera – 13 Megapixels + 8 Megapixels with Dual-LED and AF Rear Camera | 5 Megapixel Front Camera with Screen Flash
• Memory – RAM- 4GB | ROM 32GB External Memory Support up to 2TB
• Display – Screen size 5.2 inches IPS QHD (2560×1440 Pixels) Display
• Battery – Non-Removable 3,000 mAh Lithium-Ion
• SIM – Dual SIM (Nano + Nano) | (Optional Single Sim Also Available)
• Sensors -Proximity Sensor, Accelerometer, Ambient Light, Compass, Gyroscope, Fingerprint, Hall, Color Spectrum Sensor
• Color – Gray
• Operating System – Android 7.0 Nougat with LG UX 5.0
• I/O Interface – 1x Nano SIM Card Slot, 1x Nano SIM Card Slot, microSD/TF Card Slot, Type-C USB Port, 3.5mm Headphone Jack, Power Button, Volume Button, Microphone, Speaker
• Dimensions – 149 mm x 71.9 mm x 7.9 mm
• Weight – 146 Grams (With Battery)

The handset is destined for Italy first, though a UK release shouldn’t be too far behind. LG is expected to unveil the handset officially on August 31, potentially alongside the new LG V30.

I am very excited about the Q8, though. If LG can get the pricing truly mid-range for this phone, it could well trump everybody else in the space with the specs, design and hardware it features.

File this one under: very interesting, indeed!